Writing A Good Introduction Paragraph For A Compare And Contrast Essay

There are many times when students find themselves having trouble writing the introduction to a compare and contrast essay. This kind of writing assignment is different from others and this is the reason so many students struggle. The first thing to think about is to simply understand what you are asked to do with a compare and contrast essay. You are presenting both the similarities and differences between two subjects. Some students wait until after they’ve written the body paragraphs before starting on an introduction, while others take the plunge immediately and get to work on the first paragraph before the rest of the paper. Here are some things to consider in writing a good introduction paragraph for a compare and contrast essay:

Writing a Strong “Hook” Sentence

Your first sentence should be strong enough to capture the reader’s attention and convince him or her to read the rest of your paper. This is often called a “hook” and there are several ways to achieve this. For instance, if you are comparing and contrasting country life versus city life you can start with a question such as “What does a person my age do in the country? How are my days spent in the city?”

Providing Background Context

The next component of a strong introduction for this kind of assignment is to include some background information to place your two subjects in context. In keep with our example from above you may want to talk about what someone your age would do in each of those two places. This can be a broad topic so you will have to narrow it and consider things like leisure activities or work experiences. Perhaps schooling or learning about different cultures can come into play. Give some background of what you will be discussing.

Composing a Good Thesis Statement

The last step in writing a great introduction is composing a good thesis statement. You should have done some research on your topic beforehand and should have organized a good outline that presents all of your discussion points and examples you will use in your assignment. Taking all of this information together you should easily be able to draft a thesis statement which conveys your opinion on the topic. It’s okay to change this later on when you are making your revisions. However, it’s important you get at least a draft version down to help guide the rest of your work.